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Thread ID: 15499 2002-02-08 11:19:00 HP computers Guest (0) Press F1
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34916 2002-02-08 11:19:00 Im going to be getting a hp pavilloan 500a soon and am just wondering wat every one thinks of them?
i no there not the best computer and i could do better if i did a custom job but i kept blowing my budget with a custom job. i really like their one touch keyboard and its also under 2000 dollars here are the stats...

intel celeron 1.2 Ghz processor
256mb ram
256k cache
20 gig hd
48x cd rom drive
intergrated intel direct agp graphics card
4 usb 2 serial 1 parallel 1 game
more info at hp.co.nz

so wat do u all think serriously? its only for home use and not that much gaming either. but some time in the future i plan on upgrading the graphics card which means a new mother board does any 1 have an idea of how much that mite set me back ? probably gforce 2 64mb or simalar.
this will hapen after i add more ram and hd as well as cd writter and other accessories.
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34917 2002-02-08 22:11:00 I wouldnt touch HP computers with a budge pole, my friend bought on i warned him about it and i had to reformat the computer every few weeks. the computer is really unstable, badly setup and slow. Buy a Dell or Compaq for brand or for the same price get the latest CPU with the same price in the local shops Guest (0)
34918 2002-02-08 23:21:00 I agree with Tony, HP computers are frequently problematic. I would suggest a Dell with a real AGP slot so you can upgrade later. Do not get a slimline case as your future graphics adapter will likely be a full height card. Check out the Dell New Zealand web page at www.dell.co.nz

There you can select optional components. I would suggest paying the extra money for an on site next working day warrantee. Most brand name computer horror stories involve waiting weeks for the PC to go away for repairs only for it to come back in the same condition.
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34919 2002-02-08 23:33:00 Wouldnt buy one !! do it right the 1st time and get a custom built job for 2000 you should be able to buy a 1.2 gighetrz amd system with at least a 30 gig hdd and 256 megs of ram and monitor second hand dont get onbaord sound or graphics mother board try trademe.co.nz or get a new sytem built up using a duron and upgrade your cpu later ascent.co.nz are reliable and will deliver free to your doorstep if you want the safety of a warranty. Guest (0)
34920 2002-02-09 01:22:00 much as i dislike hp some of theres are ok. this one looks ok provided you have no intendtion of upgradeing.

notice how the hp site is very skimpy on details??

drawbacks- small case limited upgrades possible. powersupply size not listed(i might have missed it somewhere) no ram slots free so any ram upgrades will require buy new whole new ram. 512meg limit on ram. cannot upgrade ram for onboard graphics (not sure if there is a agp slot), onboard sound/vid/lan need to check if they can be disabled.

might be good for basic internet machine or (with back up drive ie zip) an office machine but not a game or graphics/entertainment machine.

i suggest a bit more of a look around. there are heaps of manafactures. as far as custom built machines go they are not cheap. you simply can't beat the big companies on price. quality yes price no.
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34921 2002-02-09 01:28:00 oops i forgot one thing. it has recovery partition. c'mon guys give me the damn disks! nothing like an out of warranty hardrive failure to make life fun. Guest (0)
34922 2002-02-09 12:26:00 Just organized a comp for my son who is on a limited budget. Its a bit of an oddball because we were looking for upgradeable machine and he has access to other stuff on another machine. But here's what we ended up with 1ghz Duron, Soltec 75DRV2 M/B,Mx400 64Mb Video Card 256DDR ram 20 Gig H/D(7200rpm 133eide) DVD Rom, in a 3fan case with 300 watt P/S plus a keyboard for $1423incl GST No monitor, or O/s as he is Linuxing.It involved a lot of research for prices on the net and a little haggeling but our local South Auckland supplier
matched what we wanted( and in some cases overspeced)and threw in free assembly in 45mins. Hope this helps you get started on getting what you want/need instead of getting what someone else thinks is good for you(and them)
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